Darkened Rays, Exclusion Of Blind And Visually Impaired Children In South-west Nigeria From Early Childhood Care And Education Calls For Urgent Intervention

BACKGROUND The Concept Of Early Childhood Education Continues To Impact On Development In South-west Nigeria, But Without Consideration For Enrollment Of Blind And Visually

Impaired Children (Henceforth Referred To As Children] Who Are Below Six Or Seven Years Of Age.

THE PROTECTED RIGHT TO EDUCATION The International Standard For Access To Education By All Children Is Guaranteed Through International Instruments To:

“…Take All Necessary Measures To Ensure The Full Enjoyment By Children With Disabilities Of All Human Rights And Fundamental Freedoms On An Equal Basis With Other Children.”

Ensure That The Child Accesses And Receives Education Ensure Survival And Development Of The Child

The Vision Of Education For All Children With Visual Impairment (EFA-VI) Is That By 2020, Education Would Be Accessible To All But This Can Be Realized Only When State Parties Put Inclusive Education Systems In Place At All Levels.

NIGERIA’S EDUCATION POLICY The educational policy in Nigeria is that there should be inclusive schools in every State; the nation adopted the World Declaration on Education for All,

and the reviewed curriculum for Universal Basic Education (UBE) includes educational needs of children with disabilities. Nigeria is signatory to and ratified the UNCRPD

UNCRPD But Only Lagos State Has An Inclusive Education Policy In South-west Zone.

Children Mostly Do Not Access Early Childhood Education In Spite Of Its Positive Influence On Their Educational Development In Later Life And The Proliferation Of Pre-school Educational Institutions.

Selected Case Studies Adewale Is Over Thirty Years Of Age. Grew Up In Lagos And Presently Lives With An Old Woman Who Runs A Church In Ibadan, But Has Never Been To School Because The Woman Still Believes That He Will Receive His Sight By A Miracle!

Austin’s Eyes Were Removed When He Was Two Years Old Because They Were Cancerous. The Owner Of A Nearby Private Early Childhood Institution Volunteered To Enroll Him. He Is Now In Senior Secondary School.

Schools in Lagos and Ogun States would not enroll four-year old Pamilerin until she is at least six. Her widowed mother cannot afford the 15USD monthly for enrolling her in a regular school.

RECOMMENDED ACTION STEPS There Is Need For The International Council For The Education Of People With Visual Impairment [ICEVI] To Make Nigeria One Of Its Focus Areas, In Order To Form A Functional

Partnership With Nigeria Association Of The Blind To Realise The 2020 Vision And Goals Of The EFA-VI Global Campaign And Obviate The Void Created By Inequalities In Early Childhood Care And Education.

CONCLUSION Blindness Or Visual Impairment Is Not A Barrier To Early Childhood Education. State Governments Have A Duty To Guarantee Universal Access Because Blind And Visually Impaired Children Can Effectively Learn In Regular Classrooms.

They should ensure that all early childhood care and educational institutions operating under their jurisdiction develop and implement policies for enrollment of such children, regardless of their gender, nature/degree of disability [whether multiple or otherwise], social or religious background.

The responsibility to ensure that no child is excluded from such institutions through schools’ Management action or inaction also lies with the various State and Local communities but NAB, parents, and relevant stakeholders must work with ICEVI to respond to the urgent call for intervention.